WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The u.s. Department of Defense has broken ground at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on the Project Pele transportable nuclear reactor. The reactor, under a Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) initiative, is being manufactured by BWXT Advanced Technologies, LLC, Lynchburg, Virginia. Assembly of the final reactor is set to begin in February 2025. The current schedule includes transport of the fully-assembled reactor to INL in 2026, where it would become the first ever Generation IV nuclear reactor to generate electricity in the United States.
The prototype reactor facility is designed to be transported within four 20-foot shipping containers, and tested at INL. The Project Pele team will construct a concrete shield structure at the test site next year in order to be ready for reactor placement in 2026.
Once the reactor's final safety review is completed, the Pele project team will then proceed with the initial Test and Evaluation plan. If successful, transportable nuclear power could meet the increasing demand for a resilient, carbon-free energy source capable of delivering reliable 24/7 power to mission-critical DoD operations in remote and austere environments, the Pentasgon said in a press release.
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